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Getbig Bodybuilding Boards => Training Q&A => Topic started by: jets7772003coach on January 19, 2006, 04:02:53 PM

Title: best way to gain size?
Post by: jets7772003coach on January 19, 2006, 04:02:53 PM: ive always been a high weight low rep person and have always " been stronger than I look"
What Im asking is what is the best set and rep range to gain the most size.
I usually do like 5x5 on bench , squat and press. we change every couple of weeks sometimes 10x3Heavy.
Im trying to cut out alot of super heavy stuff and start gaining size.
Title: Re: best way to gain size?
Post by: G.R.H. on January 19, 2006, 04:16:43 PM: EAT! ;D
Title: Re: best way to gain size?
Post by: Jr. Yates on January 19, 2006, 05:21:18 PM: Quote from: G.R.H. on January 19, 2006, 04:16:43 PM
EAT! ;D
couldn't have said it any better.
Title: Re: best way to gain size?
Post by: Arnold jr on January 19, 2006, 06:31:35 PM: Quote from: G.R.H. on January 19, 2006, 04:16:43 PM
EAT! ;D
Good advice, but add this. Once your done eating, eat some more, and more and more, and so on.
Title: Re: best way to gain size?
Post by: blaster on January 19, 2006, 06:52:55 PM: Eat and experiment with ur reps.

I'm currently trying to up the reps a bit more for more of a pump and less strain on my joints. Time under tension is what makes muscles grow, or at least for me. I still do one exercise heavy or the occasional heavy set just to mix things up.
Title: Re: best way to gain size?
Post by: pumpster on January 19, 2006, 09:45:51 PM: Ya, experiment with sets of 8-10 reps. Experiment also with training frequency and a few different approaches, such as German Volume Training.

Not just eat-protein powder mixed into liquids between meals.
Title: Re: best way to gain size?
Post by: Unknown8471 on January 19, 2006, 11:36:41 PM: sleep a lot, lift consistently, eat a lot, high protean is a good thing.
Title: Re: best way to gain size?
Post by: onlyme on January 20, 2006, 12:30:31 AM: EAT & LIFT HEAVY! IT'S THAT SIMPLE!
[/size]
Title: Re: best way to gain size?
Post by: txhulk on January 20, 2006, 01:55:21 AM: train big, eat big ,sleep big and you'll be big :)
Title: Re: best way to gain size?
Post by: dawakaman on January 20, 2006, 03:27:23 AM: I cant' believe you haven't mentioned EATING some more...

If you lift heavy and get stronger...it doesn't really matter what way you train (DC, Max-OT, HIT, HST or whatever), if you lift heavy compound movements, eat alot(more than you think you need) you WILL grow.

Peace
D
Title: Re: best way to gain size?
Post by: GET_BIGGER on January 20, 2006, 07:20:52 AM: Eating is crucial. Gotta eat a lot to get big. As far as your question concerning reps:

Your muscles have two sets of fibers in them, slow twitch and fast twitch. The goal is to completely exaust every single fiber in your muscle. ST fibers are used for endurance......so they get exhausted when you do high reps. FT fibers are used for short, explosive movements (or vise versa, sometimes I get them confused). So they are used in low reps. Thats why its crucial to keep change as part of your routine. Mix it up. To exhaust most of both fibers you need to be failing around the 10 rep range. But very it up.
Title: Re: best way to gain size?
Post by: BigIronMike25 on January 20, 2006, 07:51:10 AM: Quote from: jets7772003coach on January 19, 2006, 04:02:53 PM
ive always been a high weight low rep person and have always " been stronger than I look"
What Im asking is what is the best set and rep range to gain the most size.
I usually do like 5x5 on bench , squat and press. we change every couple of weeks sometimes 10x3Heavy.
Im trying to cut out alot of super heavy stuff and start gaining size.

It looks to me like you're liftin more like a powerlifter with these multiple sets of only 5reps...(course i know powerlifter do sets of 3,2,and 1)....I've always believed that the best range for hypertrophy / growth is 8-10 reps....Dr. Carlon Colker mentions this in his book....however a couple sets of 5 or 6 will help as well, but the core of my workout is made up of mostly 8-10rep sets with as much wt as i can possibly handle with good form!, with only a few sets of higher wt for 6reps
Title: Re: best way to gain size?
Post by: dr.chimps on January 20, 2006, 07:57:50 AM: Quote from: GET_BIGGER on January 20, 2006, 07:20:52 AM
Eating is crucial. Gotta eat a lot to get big. As far as your question concerning reps:

Your muscles have two sets of fibers in them, slow twitch and fast twitch. The goal is to completely exaust every single fiber in your muscle. ST fibers are used for undurance......so they get exhausted when you do high reps. FT fibers are used for short, explosive movements (or vise versa, sometimes I get them confused). So they are used in low reps. Thats why its crucial to keep change as part of your routine. Mix it up. To exhaust most of both fibers you need to be failing around the 10 rep range. But very it up.
Boy, I have a lot of this. :'(
Title: Re: best way to gain size?
Post by: jets7772003coach on January 21, 2006, 03:42:53 AM: Thanks for all the advice I appreciate any info.
Your right I have followed alot of powerlifting programs, pyramids max, negatives , forced and so on.
Im looking to just gain some size now
Title: Re: best way to gain size?
Post by: Bear03 on January 21, 2006, 07:50:49 AM: Quote from: GET_BIGGER on January 20, 2006, 07:20:52 AM
Eating is crucial. Gotta eat a lot to get big. As far as your question concerning reps:

Your muscles have two sets of fibers in them, slow twitch and fast twitch. The goal is to completely exaust every single fiber in your muscle. ST fibers are used for endurance......so they get exhausted when you do high reps. FT fibers are used for short, explosive movements (or vise versa, sometimes I get them confused). So they are used in low reps. Thats why its crucial to keep change as part of your routine. Mix it up. To exhaust most of both fibers you need to be failing around the 10 rep range. But very it up.

Sort of true. The chance for hypertrophy in Fast Twitch fibers is many times more than that of the Slow Twitch fibers. That being said, of course, when you get "stuck" trying to build your fast twitch fibers, you have to dip into other techniques that may result in stimulation of slow twitch fibers. Also, bear in mind in various bodyparts people have various percentages of each type of fiber; this is the reason some benefit in certain routines by doing higher reps for certain bodyparts- most notably, legs.
Title: Re: best way to gain size?
Post by: G.R.H. on January 21, 2006, 01:04:44 PM: you didnt mention your size and age?!
Title: Re: best way to gain size?
Post by: jets7772003coach on January 21, 2006, 01:46:36 PM: im 26yrs old.
5'7" 175lbs.
I currently am 15% bodyfat.
Id like too cut that number in half.
I train 3 nights a week one week and 5 nights a week the other week.( This is due to scheduling/ work and kids).
I bench press 300( for 1) and deadlift 400( for 1). I dont do a lot of heavy squatting due to a recent knee surgery.
Ive always felt i was stronger than the average joe just smaller than i want to be.
I eat pretty well but im sure I dont get enough protein intake , im not near 175-200 grams a day. I know that # has to change im just afraid of gaining too much bodyfat. In the past ive been able to go from 170 to 193 pretty quick. I would get bigger but the bf levels never changed and too me i looked fatter. i was stronger and bigger but not my ultimate goal. thats why im trying to change my lifting routine.
Title: Re: best way to gain size?
Post by: jets7772003coach on January 21, 2006, 01:52:24 PM: another theory i have come up with .
I work at a prison. Most of the prisoners are cut to the max and pretty big. Now my prison has no free weights just machines. Most do calastentics. however as "good" as they look alot of them are not very strong. Dont get me wrong ive seen guys do 5 sets of 25 behind the head pull ups but overall they are bigger than they are strong.
Now my theory is that these guys are gaining great size due to high rep light weight( bodyweight). There protein intake isnt great at all. actually the carb intake is pretty high.
Any thoughts on this idea?
Title: Re: best way to gain size?
Post by: pumpster on January 22, 2006, 06:05:41 AM: How do you know they're not strong? If they're doing high-rep calisthenics they're probably fairly strong.

As far as machines, some are as good or better than free weights.

Probably also genetics.
Title: Re: best way to gain size?
Post by: jets7772003coach on January 22, 2006, 12:06:10 PM: im not saying they arent strong Im saying they look stronger than they are.
For example i seen a guy doing chest press(machine). the stack total was 250. he did the stack for 2.
i did the same stack for 11. now if you compared body structures this guy looks good. hes cut and strong looking just not as strong as he looks.
Im not saying they arent strong its just my observation.
Title: Re: best way to gain size?
Post by: gcb on January 22, 2006, 10:04:05 PM: What I always read is that 3 to 5 reps is for strength and 8 to 12 is for hypertrophy. You should cycle between the two to get big then get strong then get even bigger.